South China Sea

South China Sea (SCS) which encompasses an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan, consisting of Dongsha, Xisha (known as Paracel), Zhongsha (also Huangyan in Chinese) and Nansha (Spratly) islands, has long been a bone of contention between China and Southeast Asian countries.

South China Sea is witnessing a gathering strategic storm unleashed by China’s brazen brinkmanship to gain full-spectrum dominance over this maritime expanse with a new strategy of creating man-made ‘Artificial Islands ‘besides its illegal military occupation of Paracel and Spratly Islands groups.

US-Japan New Guidelines for Defence Cooperation released on April 27 2015 marks the momentous advent of Japan asserting the right of collective self-defence as part of its National Security Strategy and Japan’s readiness in conjunction with the United States to play a proactive role in Asian security.

Kissinger’s prognostication to China to pend South China Sea dispute for future generations can best be termed as suggesting a face-saving exit from the international isolation on this issue arising from its conflict escalation record.

Strategically responding to China’s conflict escalation in South China Sea, newly elected President WIdodo announced Indonesia’s New Maritime Strategy in November 2014.

Contextually, Indonesia should have responded much earlier for a redefinition of Indonesia’s maritime postures in keeping with China’s enlarging escalation of conflict in the South China Sea against Indonesia’s ASEAN neighbours.